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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. I. LYBE & W. 0. NIOKLES. VELOGIPEDE.

Patented Jam 12, 1892.

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' D. I. LYBE & W. O. NIGKLES.

VELOGIPEDE.

No. 466,893. Patented Jan. 12, 1892.

qwi cnmoeo UNITED STATES ATENT Fries.

DANIEL I. LYBE AND WVILLIAM O. NICKLES, OF SIDNEY, IOIVA; SAID NIGKLES ASSIGNOR TO SAID LYBE.

VELOC'IPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,893, dated January 12, 1892. Application filed August 10, 1891. Serial No. 402,287. (No model.)

To all when). it may concern.-

Be it known that we, DANIEL I. LYBE and WILLIAM O. NICKLES, citizensof Iowa, residing at Sidney, in the county of Fremont and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which to it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful .improvements in velocipedes, and has for its object the production of simple and highly efficient means whereby power is stored or accumulated while the vehicle is descending a hill, and the same is utilized in ascending an inclined plane or 011 level ground.

The invention comprises the detail construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view illustrative of our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof on the line at at, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line y y, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow 10. Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking in the: direction of the arrow 20. Fig. 5 is a 5 cross-sectional view of one of the wheel-hubs,

showing the ball-and-ratchet connection between the same and its axle.

Referring to the drawings, A A designate the front and rear sets of carrying-wheels, the

latter of which have their axle a, provided near one end with a collar Ct, wherein is formed a peripheral groove or recess a the depth of which increases from its outer to its inner end. In this groove or recess a ball a 4 5 is free to move, the same being designed to be engaged by a ratcheted surface a on the inner periphery of the hub 19 of one of the carrying-Wheels, preferably the rear right-hand wheel. In revolving this wheel will bind the ball a down against the shoulder formed by the inner end of the groove or recess a and thus effect the conjoint turning of the axle and wheel.

O designates a supporting frame, which comprises two longitudinal side bars cl, two transverse bars d, and two additional longigitudin albars (1 connected to said transverse bars. To the under sides of longitudinal bars at are secured bent springs D, which at their rear ends are attached to axle a by means of acollard secured to said spring and encircling said axle. At their forward ends these springs are secured to the cross-bars e of a fifth-wheel E, the lower stationary plate of which is rigidly secured to the axle a" of the front carryingwheels. By this arrangement the supportingframe 0 can readily assn me any position, and the front carrying-wheels and their axle are free to assume anyangle with relation to said frame.

F is a vertical shaft supported by a box or casing f, rigidly secured to a cross-bar f near the forward end of frame 0. This shaft is additionally supported by inclined brace-rods f secured to said frame C, and a forked plate 7 5 fisecured to bar f. To the upper end of this shaft F is pivotally secured a double handle-bar G, to which are secured ropes or chains g, which, after being passed through guideloops 9 of cross-bar f, are connected to aper- 8o tured plates 9 projecting from the lower stationary plate of the fifth-wheel E. Thus by moving the double handle-bar G up and down at its ends the front carrying-wheels can be' turned so as to guide the vehicle in any desired direction. To the lower end of shaft F is secured a bar H, which at its outer ends has foot-rests h, and just above this bar is a second shorter bar It, to the ends of which are secured the forward ends of two parallel 9o rods or pit-men 71 I designates a shaft journaled at its ends in boxes supported upon the longitudinal bars (Z of frame 0. Upon this shaft is secured a gear-wheel 2', adjacent to which is a ratchet-wheel t", and a similar ratchet-wheel 2' is secured upon said shaft near the other end thereof. A second gear-wl1eel 71 is also secured on this shaft I, and adjacent thereto is a pinion v).

011 each sideof ratchet-wheels. zoo

"L" 2' are the upper ends of parallel arms i be- J designates amovable shaft mounted at its ends in journal-boxes attached to the frame-bars d sprocket-wheel j, around which is passed a chain j, which also encompasses a sprocketwheel j secured centrally upon the rear axle a. Upon this shaft are also secured large and small gear-wheels or pinions 3", which are respectively designed to be engaged either with gear-wheel or pinion i or 1', according as it is desired to impart a rapid or slow motion to the machine. The shifting of shaft J so as to secure'this change of speed is accomplished by a rod 10, secured to one end of said shaft and at its other end connected to cross-bard of frame 0. This rod is provided with a handle it within convenient reach of the operator.

From what has been said it will be seen that by turning shaft F horizontally through the agency of the handle-bar or foot-bar the mechanism is set inmotion and the machine is driven forward through the agency of the sprocket-chain connection with the rear axle, a fast or slow motion being obtained, according to the position occupied by shaft J and its pinions.

We will now proceed to describe the mechanism by which a reservation of power is secured.

L designates a shaft journaled at its ends 1 sides thereof and designed to be projected into any one of a series of holes or apertures Z in the enlarged circular end of a U-shaped' plate or bracket Z or into any one'of a series of grooves or notches of a wheel Z on said shaft. This shaft L is extended through both ends of the plate or bracket.

M is a spiral or coil spring, the inner end of which is secured to shaft L and its outer end is connected to plate or bracket Z WVheel Z is designed to engage with pinion i of shaft I and thus effect the turning of said shaft and the winding of the spring, and also in this way impart motion to the operating mechanism from the springin the unwinding thereof. The lug 0r stud Z is placed in engagement with wheel Z to effect the winding of the spring, and is thrown into any one of the holes or apertures Z when the power of said spring is to be utilized in driving the'vehicle.

To the outer end of plate or bracket Z is secured a ratchet-wheel m,with which engages a pawl or arm m which is pivotally mounted Upon this shaft is secured a at its outer end upon bar (1' of frame 0. This pawl prevents the shaft L from moving in the wrong direction.

m is a rock-shaft mounted in boxes m on hard, and to this rock-shaft is secured an operating-handle m Two arms m are also secured to this rock-shaft, and the same encompass the opposite sides of the loose gearwheel l and enable the, latter to be shifted in the desired direction. The lug Z being thrown into engagement with wheel Z when the velocipede descends a hill, the coil-spring will be wound up on its shaft, and in ascending a hill, when said lug Z is thrown into engagement with the apertured ends of plate or bracket Z, the unwinding of the spring will impart sufficient power to drive the velocipede forward.

VV'e claim as our invention- 1. The herein-described improved velocipede, comprising the carrying-wheel's and their axles, the frame mounted on said axles, the sprocket-wheel secured on the rear axle, the vertical shaft capable of being moved horizontally, the driving-shaft connected with said vertical shaft, having gear-wheels, and the movable shaft also having gear-wheels capable of imparting different motions to'the machine and having a sprocket-wheehand a sprocket-chain encompassing said wheel and said former sprocket-wheel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a velocipede, the 'combination,'wi th the carrying-wheels and their axles, of the supporting-frame and springs secured thereto and connected at their rear ends to the rear axle, and the fifth-wheel having its lower plate rigidly secured to the front 'axle and its 'movable plate connected to saidsprings, substantially as set forth.

3. In a velo'cipede, the combination, "with the carrying-wheels and their axles, of the supporting-frame, the springs secured'thereto, the fifth-wheel having its lower plate rigidly secured to the forwardaxle, the vertical shaft, the pivoted rack-bar secured tosaid shaft, and the chains or straps connected thereto and to said fifth-wheel, substantially as set forth. I

4. In a velocipede, the combination, with the carrying-wheels andtheiraxlea'the rear one of which has a central 'sprocket whe'el, of the supporting-frame, the vertical shaft capable of horizontal movement and provided with an upper double handle-bar and a lower foot-bar, the main operating-shaft having ratchet-wheels, the spring-held p'a'wls engaging therewith, the arms or plates carrying said pawls; the rods or pitmen connected to said arms or plates and tosaidvertical shaft, and the shaft engaged by "said operatingshaft and having a sprocket-chain leading to said sprocket-wheel on the rear axle, substantially as set forth.

5. In a velocipede, the combination, with the carrying-wheels'and their'axle's, the rear one of which has a central sprocket-wheel, of

a supporting-frame, the vertical shaft capable of horizontal movement and provided with operating-bars, the main operating-shaft having ratchet-wheels and large and small gearwheels, the arms or plates carrying springheld pawls engaging said ratchet-wheels, the rods or pitmen connected to said arms or plates and to said vertical shaft, the 'rear movable shaft having a sprocket-wheel and large and small pinions designed to engage said former gear-Wheels, the sprocket-chain encompassing said sprocket wheel and the sprocket-Wheel on the rear axle, and the rod secured to said movable shaft for moving the same, substantially as set forth.

6. In a velocipede, the combination, with the operating mechanism, of a shaft having a coil-spring secured thereto, a wheel fast on said shaft having grooves or notches, a plate or bracket encompassing said spring and having a series of holes .or apertures in one end, and a loosely-soon red gear-wheel having a lug or stud designed to be projected into any one of said holes or apertures and to engage said grooved or notched wheel, said gear-wheel engaging said operating mechanism, as set forth.

7. In a velocipede, the combination, with the operating mechanism, of the shaft, the 0011- spring secured thereto at one end, the plate or bracket to which the other end of said coilspring is secured, the ratchet-wheel secured to one end of said plate or bracket, the pawl or arm engaging therewith, the Wheel fast on said shaft, having grooves or notches, the loosely-secured gear-wheel designed to engage with said plate or bracket and to also engage with the operating mechanism and with said grooved or notched wheel, the rock-shaft, the arms projecting therefrom, and the operating-bar secured to said rock-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL I. LYBE. WILLIAM O. NIOKLES. Witnesses:

J. F. BARTHOLOMEW, H. CALVERT. 

